Why the Black Sea called "black sea"?

All have long been accustomed, and no one comes to mind is that our Black Sea might otherwise be called. However, this is such a familiar, warm, and has not even scary, his name was the sea is not always the case. Rather, it had been, but very, very long time.And really, why the Black Sea called "black"? From the most ancient Iranian texts reveal that the sea was called "ahshayna," which means "dark, opaque, black." And then the name has been forgotten for several hundred years. To reappear?
So this is just what was the name of the most accurate and correct,
time after time for him also, and returned (the first word is more
expensive than the second?).

Nevertheless, from the time when the historical and geographical documents we find the first mention of the Black Sea and up to now, accumulated a few dozen names of the basin. The great Greek colonization of this region in their written sources from the IX-VIII centuries. BC mentioned is the sea more than once. At first, the newcomers from the south sea met, apparently inhospitable. It was struck by their strong winter storms and ice near the northern coast. In addition, local residents - Brand - Deals damage to sensitive Greek sailors. This is probably why the Black Sea for a long time was called by the Greeks inhospitable sea.Over the years, with further penetration into the northern Black Sea
region and settlement of its fertile shores, the Greeks began to call
the sea hospitable (Evksinos Pontos).
This name was recorded in the sea of ​​Herodotus (Vv. BC), as well as
on the map of Ptolemy (AD IIv.) Descriptions of Pontus Euxine we find in
the sailing directions of the time - Periplus (marine guide).

Late Arab geographers, using scientific knowledge about the Black Sea,
ancient scholars, greatly complement and enhance them with new
information acquired as a result of strengthening trade ties with Middle
Eastern Black Sea Region (Here lies the most famous trade routes: from
the Vikings to the Greeks "and" The Great Silk Road . Judging from
historical documents, the Black Sea was called then Russian. It was
noted in the Arab scholars Masoudi (mid-XB). Edrizi and (XIIv.). This is
not surprising, since the first documented use of the word "growing",
"Rus" are connected namely the Crimea (Tavrica). Some Russes lived on
the peninsula in IXv. and later. At the same time educator Cyril saw
Tavrika book, "Russian written to write." But who was hiding under this
name: the Scythians, or Slavs - to answer accurately can not nobody. The
Greeks, for example, XB. Scythians were called Rus, and even
brand-Scythians, Arabs are also specifically called Rus Slavs. It is
obvious only that the Indo-Aryan reading the word "grown" means "bright
white". It follows, as Paradoxically, the Black Sea at one time was
called the "White" Sea - Russian? "and named it for several hundred
years. At some Italian cards (portolanah) is the name persisted until
the XV-XVIvv. But along with that name in some cultures and travel The
Black Sea was called in its own way. Since the famous traveler Marco Polo (XIIIv.) called the Black Sea in his great "book" Great Sea.
Oriental authors at the same time often mentioned the Black Sea, under
the name of Sudak (Surozh), thereby emphasizing the wide popularity of
the Crimean mall Sudak (Sourozh).
Outstanding is the domestic traveler Athanasius Nikitin, who was in the
Crimea in XV century., Returning from his big trip, "the three seas to
India, called the Black Sea (the third on its way) - Istanbul. There were other names: Cimmerian, Tauride, Crimean, Slavic, Greek, Georgian, and even Armenian. Why, for example, the Armenian? We can assume that when XIv.
in the Crimea moved a large number of Armenians who ousted the
Persians, and Seljuk Turks from their traditional territories and part
of east Crimea current Belogorsk becomes Seaside Armenia - a significant
economic and religious center, the sea, also known as Armenian.

In the ongoing struggle for dominance over the Black Sea next
inscription on the map disappears along with the displacement of the
next "owner" of the Black Sea.Photo: GHOSTDABS - Hamburg UniversityPresent the same name, returning, as we have said, for the Black Sea is held for several centuries. At the same semantic meaning in different languages ​​remains the same. Black Sea, for example, the Turks called Karadeniz on neo-Greek - Mauritius-Thalassa ", German" Shvartses Meer ", etc. Our sea called the black for a darker shade of its deep waters. This feature of the basin can be clearly seen in the transition from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.